Bangladesh building collapse reminds us of hidden cost of cheap clothes

The collapse of Rana Plaza with the loss of at least 228 lives comes as a shock to us all, but less so for those of us who live and work in Bangladesh.

By Gareth Price Jones, Dhaka

6:05PM BST 25 Apr 2013

Sadly, such events are all too common here, rarely getting media attention if international clothing suppliers are not involved. Back in 2010, a residential building collapsed in a similarly horrific way, but without the column inches.

But this tragedy reminds us of the hidden cost of cheap clothes. Controversy surrounding the garment industry is well-documented and in Bangladesh there have been some improvements. In 2010, the government raised the monthly minimum wage from about £15 to £25. Yet there is no doubt this remains a dangerous, low paid and exploitative sector.

Many subcontractors pay significantly less than the current minimum wage. Enforcement is painfully lax. Hundreds of thousands of people have few other options than to leave the countryside in search of jobs in factories and workshops in Bangladesh's heaving cities, particularly the capital, Dhaka. They are paying the price for the cheap clothes that now fill so many high street shops across the world.

In fact, these clothes don't come cheaply. Someone, somewhere is paying to fill the gap that selling clothes at rock bottom prices creates. They do so by risking their lives working in unsafe buildings, for long hours, often in terrible conditions, for terrible wages. Perhaps 35,000 people move to Bangladesh's cities every week. A combination of poverty, greed, corruption and politics leaves them vulnerable.

But this need not be the case. When it comes to the garment industry, as consumers we are involved – and with involvement comes responsibility. We can make choices that will make a difference. So too can retailers. The easiest thing is to choose not to see the story behind the brands, but we can also choose to buy clothes that are the products of transparent and non-abusive supply chains.

Retailers can choose to do the same, and can hold their suppliers to account – not least by ensuring they respect safety standards that protect their workers lives.

Here, though, the problem is much wider than the garment industry. Construction of high rise buildings is everywhere here in Dhaka, but even the Prime Minister accepts that 90 per cent are not built to local standards, let alone international norms. And Bangladesh is a country prone to earthquakes.

Oxfam is trying to reduce the risks by working with architects and municipal authorities to improve building standards. We also help communities to prepare themselves for disasters. With a major earthquake overdue, we are concerned that this terrible tragedy could be repeated on a far greater scale.